Virtualization Technologies for Sustainable Tourism: Adapting the Matterport 360 Platform to Showcase the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Tampa Bay, Florida

Brooke Hansen
Director, Sustainable Tourism, Patel College of Global Sustainability, University of South Florida, https://www.usf.edu/pcgs/about/brooke-hansen.aspx; kbhansen@usf.edu  

Sophia Annis
Digital Interpretation & Virtual Product Coordinator, SDG Action Alliance, University of South Florida 

Samantha Vorce
Digital Interpretation & Virtual Product Coordinator, SDG Action Alliance, University of South Florida   

Jesse Coates
Sustainable Tourism Consulting Coordinator, SDG Action Alliance, University of South Florida 

Alison Farr
Cultural Heritage Coordinator, SDG Action Alliance, University of South Florida  

Abstract

Tourism is the number one industry in the state of Florida with no sign of declining, even with the challenges posed by the global pandemic. Known for its coastline, Florida may not be able to continue marketing pristine beaches if current levels of plastic pollution and harmful algae blooms continue. The University of South Florida researchers have confirmed over 4 billion microplastics in Tampa Bay and red tide outbreaks are among the worst ever recorded along the Florida Gulf Coast. A UN Sustainable Development Goals class project, continued by interns of the USF SDG Action Alliance, focused on documenting plastic pollution and dead fish at popular tourist sites using 3D imaging and annotations with the Matterport 360 platform. Solutions for these challenges to sustainable tourism were explored, including the Ocean Allies initiative to certify tourism businesses as Ocean friendly and reduce single-use plastics in the environment. The annotated 3D Matterport models are ideal for highlighting challenges to sustainable tourism in a format easily transmitted on social media and to policymakers. The benefits and drawbacks of the technology will be discussed with future directions identified. SDGs highlighted in the project included 11.4 Safeguarding Cultural and Natural Heritage, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, 14 Life Below Water, and 15 Life on Land. This case study fits in with the growing literature on using geoinformatics technologies to promote sustainable tourism.

Key Words: sustainable tourism, geoinformatics, virtualization, SDGs, plastic pollution, Florida